Guardian Angel
by Sulky Shadow
Summary: You're not a monster, Angeal. You're an angel. But if you want to protect me, if you want to be my guardian angel, you have to learn how to fly, first.


**Warning:** This story contains slight spoilers to Crisis Core, but nothing major.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Final Fantasy. All characters go to their respectful owners. I only own this story.

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><p><strong>Guardian Angel<strong>

Zack opened his eyes to a blurry figure. It took a minute of rubbing his eyes to realize why his vision wasn't clearing. Mako. He was incased in a tank of mako. He'd have to learn to see around the green if he wanted to learn about his surroundings. The figure was still standing in front of him.

The figure was a big man with white hair—slightly tinted green with the mako. He looked very familiar to Zack. Who was he? Zack's head felt like it had been filled with fog and he was unable to make out anything unless it was two inches from his face. This man was at least two meters away, much too far to remember anything.

What Zack did remember was a sword. A large, thick, heavy sword. That, and a strange purplish apple. What was it? Ah, a Banora White. Banora, that was familiar too. Banora…apples…death…fire… Where were these thoughts coming from? This man obviously had something to do with them.

Zack realized that the man also had a large, white wing protruding from his right shoulder. Just like an angel. Angel…that sounded just like…

"Angeal!" Zack's fist hit the glass surrounding him.

Angeal turned away from Zack and began walking away.

"Wait!" Zack called after his mentor.

Suddenly, everything was fading to white and Zack was struggling to remain conscious. He couldn't sleep; he had to get out of there. Wherever 'there' was.

Eventually, it became too much of a struggle and Zack shut his eyes in defeat, only to open them again, moments later.

Everything was blue—save for the few white clouds in the air. Clouds…that word was familiar too. Clouds…clouds…Cloud! Where was his friend? Had he been put in a mako tank, as well? Zack hoped not.

Angeal was staring calmly at his apprentice from where he was standing, a few feet away.

"Angeal," Zack called. "Why'd you come back? You could be caught, and then they'd kill you!" Wait, hadn't Angeal already died?

"Don't worry, Zack. I swore I would protect you on my honor. I don't back down on my word," Angeal replied.

Honor…honor and dreams. 'No matter what happens, protect your honor, and always fight for your dreams.' Those had been the first words Angeal had said to him when they had met.

"If you're protecting me, then why am I in a mako chamber?" Zack asked.

Angeal looked away in shame and Zack immediately regretted asking.

"I'm sorry, I haven't been doing a very good job." Angeal's wing lowered, showing how ashamed he was.

Wings like an angel. Zack wondered what it was like to be free, to be able to fly anywhere you wanted. It must have been nice.

"You're wings are just like an angel's," Zack said to Angeal. He remembered having told him that once before, when his mentor had first revealed his secret to him, claiming to be a monster.

The response was the same as it was before, "They are the sign of a monster."

"Monsters don't look so beautiful."

Angeal didn't reply.

"So," Zack continued. "You're going to be like my guardian angel?"

"If that's what you'd like to call me," Angeal replied, quietly.

"Well, if you want to be my guardian angel, show me you can fly."

Angeal obediently spread his wing out and lifted himself into the air. "Why must I fly to protect you?" he asked.

"You're gonna have to lift me out of danger, and the only way to do that is to fly," Zack explained.

"I can't save you, Zack. I can only protect you," Angeal told Zack, sadly.

"Sure you can. Just help me out of here," Zack said, desperately.

"I'm sorry, Zack, but if you want out of here, you're going to have to do it yourself."

Zack looked down. The water surrounding his feet reflected his face and Angeal, hovering above him. Angeal did look like a guardian angel, watching over him. "I understand, Angeal," he said at last. "It's not honorable to ask others for help when you're capable of doing it yourself."

Angeal was silent.

"Don't worry," Zack looked back up at his mentor. "I'll get out of here."

Angeal nodded and flew off, leaving snowy feathers slowly falling from the sky.

"Those wings," Zack said, watching one fall, "I want them too."

The feather landed in the water, and everything shattered.

When Zack opened his eyes again, he was lying on the ground, surrounded by mako. A scientist was staring in shock across the room. Zack grunted as he pushed himself up. The scientist still didn't move. Looking around, Zack saw his Buster Sword against the opposite wall. He made his way over and grabbed it, using it to quickly dispose of the scientist who had been dumb enough to remain standing in the same spot.

Replacing the sword on his back, Zack scanned the room again. There were two mako chambers in the room—one of which was now broken. Angeal had saved him; he had broken the tank in which Zack had been trapped. Unless Zack himself had broken it… That didn't matter, though. What mattered now was the fact that Zack was now free.

Zack examined the other mako tank. A man was floating in it, his blonde spikes bobbing up and down.

"Cloud!" Zack exclaimed, running over to aid his friend. He made quick work of the chamber's buttons and soon held the younger man in his arms. Cloud didn't rouse when Zack called his name again. Zack noticed the blonde's eyes darting rapidly behind his eyelids and came to the conclusion that his friend had mako addiction. "Whelp," he said, hoisting Cloud's arm over his shoulder, "it'll wear off eventually."

Zack made his way slowly through the building, carrying the young man with him. "Don't worry," he said to Cloud, after disposing of a few more appalled scientists. "I'll watch over you." Zack headed to the doors that he assumed were the entrance. "And," he continued, shielding his eyes as the sunlight hit his face, "I'm not the only one. We've both got a guardian angel looking out for us."

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